Love and Marriage, Again: An Animated Version of ‘Married With Children’ With Core Cast Is In The Works
The Bundys are back!
Sony Pictures Television has been working on an animated update of Married…with Children, the sitcom that was one of Fox’s first successes. Sony has signed original cast members Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino to the project, and is shopping it around to networks and streamers.
The new take on the 1987 Fox sitcom is being written by Family Guy executive producer Alex Carter, who will also serve as showrunner. It’s not known where the animated Married…with Children would land, but Fox, Hulu and Peacock are considered logical destinations, as the original series is streaming on Hulu, Peacock and Pluto TV, which is owned by Paramount Global.
Created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt, Married…With Children ran from 1987 to 1997 on Fox. The show was critically derided throughout its run but proved to be a powerhouse for the network, which launched in 1986. Married…with Children racked up 259 episodes over its 11 seasons, making it the longest-lasting live-action sitcom on Fox and one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in television history.
This isn’t the first time Married…with Children has spawned a spin-off: the short-lived Top of the Heap, featuring future Friends star Matt LeBlanc, ran for several episodes in 1991. A potential spin-off involving and adult Bud (Faustino) moving back in with his parents, could have happened, but although Moye and several cast members were on board, the son of the other co-creator (Leavitt) nixed the project.